The Music Man
by Arkangelsk666
Summary: There's a woman, and she has secrets and a great mission ahead of her. There's a man, a great problem solver, but can he solve the problem that is...her?
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. Then, Light. Then Darkness. Light again. What was this experience. And a Smell, smell that was familiar.

"Are you awake yet, I'm getting bored over here." A voice, raspy and confident.

"Ghuh?" a different voice. My own voice, yeah that's it. "Whos there?" there it was again, my very own voice out there solving mysteries.

"A renewed soul." That other voice again, and the smell… cigarette. The smell was of cigarette! And the light and the darkness, my eyes, out there being wild independent sports, opening and closing, these rascals.

"Where am I?" my eyes do more than blink now, the look around, try to make sense of this odd encounter. The room is small and dark, but smells strongly of cleaning product, and yes cigarette.

"A very special place, at least in my heart, and I'm sure yours won't mind either." My eyes then drift where their buddies my ears direct them. There's a person face slightly obscured by the dark room and the smoke that rolls around the face in lazy loops. I grunt and I see eyes flashing in the dark, looking at my own, trying to read me. I moment later there's a cigarette in my own mouth.

I inhale deeply as the end is lit and I feel smooth smoke in my lungs, I had been trying to quit on and off for the longest time, and it was a welcome friend in my predicament. I went to grab the light and flick its ash when I realized my hands were bound down near hips, and my legs, head and torso all seemed to be in a similar state.

"Look where the hell am I, and what in the hell am I doing here?" I try shout over the tobacco clamped between lips.

"It's all going to be clear soon."

"God is this Trish's doing?Tell that fat slut her money's on the way." I feel cool sweat trickling down my body which I now know, embarrassingly enough, is naked.

"See if you weren't so goddamn demeaning to everyone all the time maybe we wouldn't be here in this situation huh smartass?" The voice was, being mean. I realized then I was stuck in a very uncomfortable position because of this dumb voice.

"You listen here now asshole," the more I came off of whatever drug this, uh, this this, person put me on the more hornet angry I got. "I'm gonna fuck you up when I got out of this. You hear me? FUCK YOU UP!"

"Someone's moody!" the voice said in a sing-songy tune, "Let's fix that, ay?' Pain then, Burning hot pain. When I move my eyes down to see, someone seems to have taken a cleaver of some sort against my poor leg.

"Ah fuck," that's my silly voice again, out there in the world making a name for himself. The same pain again, deeper this time. My poor thoughts, they can't seem to catch u p. Ma n thi s su r i

The figure looked down at the bleeding corpse as the eye lids flashed for the last time. The figure, a woman in fact, started to whistle as she grabbed the half smoked cigarette from the table where it fell and dropped it, right into her victims mouth before grabbing a different knife and getting to work. Dismembering and placing a body was becoming a lot harder than she expected. She growled frustratedly at the knife lodged in the man's thigh.

"Sloppy, sloppy work," she muttered to herself as she pulled from the leg and set it to the side. She grabbed a different knife then, long silver and with a wicked looking curve, and brought it to the flesh around the victims shoulder and started to cut.

"Ah fuck," she hadn't expected the blood to spray out after she had made sure they were dead, another thing she had overlooked when she decided it was time. She glanced for a moment at the tape recorder she had running before cutting further into her victim, it was going to be a long night if she was going to have it prepared and ready for the morning, ready for the start of something amazing.

She was jogging, hard heavy breathes puffing from her chest into the chilly, early morning air. She saw her work exactly as she had left it and let out a convincing scream.

 _9-1-1 what is your emergency_

"Please," she sobbed, "Come quick! Someone's been murdered!"

 _Ma'am did you saw someone's been murdered? Can you give a location please?_

"Ghuh! Um, I was running down along the bay, an ghuh, Jesus, um, I don't know the address I think I'm near Palm Terrace a-apartments or something?"

 _Remain calm ma'am officers are on their way, it's going to be okay._

She sniffed and hung up the phone then, wiping away her convincing tears and slowing her breathing, she gave one last good look at her work and walked towards the road, catching sight of a police car. It gave a tentative " _woop_ " of it's sirens when it saw her and she waved it down.

"Ma'am did you call this in?" they asked the teary eyes young woman.

"Uh yes I did," she said in a quiet voice and led them towards the body of the young man. She gave a wonderful performance of what a person cringing a butchered corpse would do and she felt the arm of one of officers wrap around her as the other one called it in on his walkie.

She rubbed her eyes as she was patiently sat on the back of the police car, a blanket around her shoulders for the shock, which she did feel. She'd finally done it, she killed her first victim, and she was, of course the only one worthy enough of being the one to find her marvelous work. Before long however, the peaceful scene was crowded with more police men and woman as the sun began to rise, and with it, the vise that hid her work form the world, now she was truly, truly, validated.

The first person not to arrive dressed in the garb of Miami Metros finest was a man, ginger, with stubble running up his tanned cheeks and a doey look in his green eyes. Those greens eyes met my own blue ones, and just for a second, I felt a low hiss from the Something Inside. I could tell her heard it too, from the way his eyes focused, and his head tilted just the slightest.

Dressed in a light blue button up he moved to talk to one of the uniforms, probably to ask who I was, as his eyes never left mine, but on his way over, his thoughts, and eye contact, where stolen by a young woman with long brown hair and… cowboy boots. She pulled him and own internal growling down towards my work.

I smirked happily to myself as they moved away, and I pulled my blanket closer around my shoulders.

"Whadaya have for me Dex?" The voice of his sister, Deb, pulled him from his thoughts, and the woman he had seen on the back of the police car.

"Um," he said, taking a breath and inspecting the badly butchered body in front of him. "Some really amateur work." he spoke with confidence as he bent down to get a better look. The young man who had been laid out neatly on the grass, but they cuts were harsh, messy, and honestly just sloppy work. The hacks were found at every major joint, and across the waist, dismembering the body into sixteen bloody pieces.

"What does that mean Dexter? Amateur? You saying this our guys first kill?" Deb inquired further as he took pictures of the ragged stumps.

"Yeah I'd say so, our killer didn't quite realize how much of a task it is to kill and cut up a human being is." he looked up at Debra with confidence in his gaze before glancing back over at the police car, back at the woman, the person who had made the call and found the body. The look in her eyes, combined with the small whisper of the Passenger let him know that this Woman, this Bystander was more than she seemed.

"Why these fuckers gotta always do shit like this so early in the morning, at least let me get half a coffee in first," that was Sergeant Angel Batista, dark circles hung around his eyes and his buttons aligned wrong implied he'd had quite the time himself himself, most likely an alcohol inspired night out.

"I feel you on that one Angel," Dexter smiled at the older man but he just groaned and took another sip of his steaming drink.

"God, how can the press get here faster than the goddamn detectives, holy fuck." Deb spouted off as she surveyed the scene, her gaze barely landing on the woman that had found the scene. Dexter noticed something odd then, there appeared to be something in the young mans mouth. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of tweezers before pulling a half smoked cigarette from the guys mouth.

"Holy fuck, Dex what is that?"

"It's a cigarette, partially smoked, looks like it was placed into the mouth still lit, by the burns on the tongue."

"Who the fuck? The last thing the department needs right now is some twisted game playing motherfucker."

"Ah see now you've jinxed it," the ever intruding Detective Quinn contributed.

"Yeah fuck you too," she shot back.

"Well looks like our vic was killed somewhere else and dumped here, I'd say maybe an hour ago, and he couldn't have been dead much longer than I'd say, six hours?" he said looking at his watch. He stood up and yawned. "I don't really see any game playing though, looks to me like it uh, was probably personal, see the emotional, jagged wounds," he pointed to the rough cut elbows and hips and knees, "That and these two additional slices along the upper thigh here shows a kind of first timer vengeance, probably an ex that got wanted to get even for cheating or something. That's what I'd look for, an ex of some sort."

"Thanks Dex," Batista chimed in while Deb and Quinn bickered over something or else.

"Anytime, look I'm gonna run back to the station, do some testing, you guys'll be fine," sniffed as he stood up walked over to the first responder.

"What can you tell me about her?" he asked. The young hispanic man looked bored as he rolled his eyes up to Dexters.

"Ay yeah she was out for her morning jog, found the body, called it in."

"Do we have a name for her?"

"Sure," the Uni replied as he looked down at his notes. "The one and only Samantha Pine, just moved here a month ago and lives by herself in the apartment complex nearby." Dexter blinked and looked over at her, she lived in the same building as her, maybe that's what caught the Passengers eye, but no, he felt it saying something else.

"Ah alright thank you," the officer muttered something back as Dex walked over to her, this Samantha Pine.

She looked up at him from a round face and dark red hair, all neatly put back in a ponytail. Her blue eyes had heavy bags under them and she gripped her gas station coffee with trembling hands.

"Can I help you...Detective?" she asked in a small voice, but the calling behind her eyes was a much larger force, she was a killer Just Like Him.

"Just forensics," he said in a friendly voice holding up his laminate for her to see.

 _What do you mean she's a killer Dex? She's just a poor young woman who stumbled along something awful._ Ah the ever helpful voice of his father, Harry Morgan. You know what I mean, his smile said as he put his identification back in his pockets.

"Mind if I check your hands and clothing for blood?" He asked politely, lifting his camera.

"Oh not at all, I'll do anything I can to stop whoever could do such a thing," her tone of voice was almost convincing. Nearly as good as his own impression. He took snaps of her hands and clothing and took a closer look himself but could see no trace of blood anywhere on her or her dark running clothes.

"That'll be all thank you," he said as turned away and went to get in his car. Who was this woman, this Samantha Pine, and how hard was it going to be to get her on the table.


	2. Chapter 2

**So like I don't know if people still read this fandom bc this shit so old but hey, I like to read what I write so here it is folks. (Also apologies on anything that seems, off?)**

 _He knows_ , the little voice toddled at her. _And he works with the police. He'll find us._

"And do what exactly?" she murmured angrily under her breath. She looked up at the woman in the boots as she walked over.

"You the one who found the scene?" She asked impatiently eyes flicking around.

"Oh uh yes Ma'am, do you need me to come in or can I go? I have a job a-a-a life I can't keep sitting around here like this." The detective looked at her with some, some look in her eyes, but she let her go.

The woman, Samantha Pine, although she prefered to go by Sam, got up and started to jog slowly back to her apartment. When she finally had her door locked behind her she couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her face. She had finally done it, her work had started.

She walked over to the pot of coffee she had started just before taking her 'jog' and poured herself a cup as she stripped her sweaty clothes off her exhausted body. She winced at the dark bruise that had formed on her side, abducting someone wasn't as easy as it seemed, another lesson she had to learn the hard way.

She walked to her bathroom and looked in the mirror as she started the shower. There was a new look in her eye than before, the Something Inside was awake now, it no longer lazed around laughing or growling occasionally. It was awake, and it was hungry. Or maybe that was her, she'd have to make breakfast before she left for work.

Work. Dexter stared at his computer, writing up his reports, doing the work became so much more difficult when he had something else on his mind, that woman. He typed Samantha Pine into his database to see what would come up. She had no priors or even parking violations, she was a model citizen. Why would someone like her up and dismember and display a body like that.

He clicked further, finding that she had been raised in the foster system, all good records though, no reports of abuse or other foul play. He thought of his own foster life, Harry had been good to him, through and through, but there could be something else lurking beneath the surface, and on a curious note, there seemed to be no records on what happened to her birth parents or any kind of life event before the age of six. She had been born into the system.

What secrets laid beneath her surface? He was going to find out, one way or another, but now, the honest police work he was paid to do.

Sam couldn't believe she was paid to do what she did. She cooed softly to the large bird perched on her arm. She worked to rehabilitate the animals found at peoples homes when they died, natural causes or otherwise. This one however was such a cutie, people often failed to see how much work taking care of an animal like this was.

This handsome boy was a 40 year old white cockatoo, malnourished and had greasy feathers, a sure sign of a nicotine addiction, which made sense since the former owner had been an elderly chainsmoker. He crawled up towards her shoulder and nibbled on her ear and she laughed. She knew technically she wasn't allowed to have pets in the apartment and she had only just moved to Miami, but she considered the birds are more than just that.

Normally she'd just clean them up and have them ready to go to the nearest animal shelter or zoo, whichever happens to have better conditions but there was something about this one that made her change her mind.

"What do you say little sir?" she asked in a soft voice, "Want to come home with me?" The bird pulled a lock of her dark red hair out of her pony tail and she laughed. She turned to the EMTs and retirement home officials as she walked out, giving them a quick, "I'm done here," as she did.

She made her way back to the apartment, she could type the reports from home and really only left when she was called to. Sam placed the sickly bird into a cage, then into her car as she drove for home, nearly getting lost in the vast, unfamiliar city. She stopped along the way however to deliver a package, on that would change the ideas of her and her crime, and the thought made her smile.

"I'm going to be famous my dear budgie friend," she said to the bird. Before long she had pulled into the apartment complex and was carrying the covered cage, as discreetly as she could up to her room. 8b, home sweet home. The apartment was small, only one bedroom but it was all the room Sam needed, cozy, quiet, and air conditioned.

She worked quietly for the rest of the day, washing and feeding her new companion and writing up the reports, and before she knew it, the end of the day had come, and with it hunger, both for food, and for something else, something the one Inside was knew. She huffed loudly and looked in her fridge, realizing she'd forgotten to go grocery shopping, again.

She grabbed her key exasperatingly and stepped out the door, and right into a wall, or a wall of a person at least.

"Ah, gosh I am so sorry," she started apologizing but felt her breath catch in her throat as she realized just exactly it was that she had run into. It was the same forensic guy from her scene, the one that had felt her calling, and called back.

Dexter was walking back to his apartment after another tiring day at work, all he wanted to do was hold his son and fall asleep. He was wrapped up in his thoughts and barely acknowledged the fact that a door had opened in front of him, it was only when the person coming out of the door slammed into his chest did he shake free from his thoughts. The woman started to rush out an apology but stopped when their eyes met.

It was the jogger who had found the butchered body not far from here, he vaguely remembered then when the Officer had told him that she lived in his building, he hadn't expected her to be his neighbor however.

"Um it's okay," he managed to get out. He saw the look in her eyes then, it was the same look he wore on certain nights, it was the look of an animal on the hunt.

"Well if you'll excuse me," she started off and made to walk away but Dexter wasn't about to let her go, not with that darkness sitting in her eyes.

"Say, you're new around here right?" he asked, grabbing her arm. She look at his hand briefly then back up at his eyes before answering.

"Um yeah I am," he could her Passenger, hissing at him under the surface, so he pushed back harder.

"Well how about you let me take you out to get some dinner, I bet you're starving, rushing out of your apartment like that an all," Dexter said with a smile.

"Sure," she replied, a smidge of annoyance ringing in his ears.

"Give me one minute to drop off my things and we'll go," he smiled and hurried over to his corner piece, quickly unlocking the door and finding Jamie sitting on the floor with Harrison, his beautiful little son.

"Hey kiddo," he said smiling. "Um hey Jamie so I have to head out again you mind staying a bit longer?"

"Of course not," she smiled back, "I love hanging out with this little guy."

"Great, I'll see you in a few hours," he rushed back out then and was pleasantly surprised to see the woman still standing there, an annoyed look on her face, but still there.

 _Are you sure this is a good idea, Dex?_ The ever vigilant Harry chided. _We know nothing about this woman, and if you're right about what she's feeling, then she could become dangerous if you back her into a corner._

"I think I can handle it," he murmured as he walked up to her.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Oh uh nothing, so uh, what's your name neighbor?"

"Samantha Pine, but you can call me Sam, the only person to ever call my Samantha was, well he's gone now," she looked off towards the water as she spoke and Dexter could almost see a sadness in them, but it passed quickly. "And who are you, mister neighbor and police man?"

"Ah, Dexter Morgan, and it's Blood Spatter Analyst, not officer or detective or any other prestige, just a lab rat."

"You must have gotten a kick out of that horrible body this morning huh?" Dexter didn't know what to say, or what was she might be implying. "Oh I don't mean to be disrespectful, just you're a blood guy, and, God I've just never seen so much blood in my life." There was sincerity in her blue eyes, she definitely was telling the truth.

"Not so much a kick I'd say, this is my car here, just uh, professional curiosity," they got in his big Ford SUV and buckled up as he left the complex, taking them into the heart of Miami. She didn't respond again and Dexter looked over at her. This woman, there was something about her, something similar, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it yet.

"You from around here?" he asked her after the silence became unbearable.

"Miami? No, although I spent some time here as a child, briefly that is. I've visited a couple times since then, but I made the decision to move down a couple months ago, an old calling I guess you could say, hoping to meet up with an old friend," Sam looked at Dexter when she spoke, but there was an emptiness to her gaze that spoke louder than her words, she was very similar to him.

"An old friend huh, that's always nice," he said as he pulled the car into the restaurant parking lot.

"Yes sir, Mr. Morgan."

"Dexter is fine," he said with a smile, "I'd say Mr. Morgan was my father but he was a detective too so it wasn't much his title either." She raised her eyebrows in curiosity at that as they were sat a table and given their menus.

"Like Father like son, huh?" she joked.

"And daughter," she looked at him again, with that nobody's home gaze.

"Really now," they had a good fake sparkle, _She's good Dex_ , his father said, personified as their waiter, who took their orders and grabbed away the menus.

"Yeah, my sister, Debra Morgan, she works for homicide too, great cop," he could see recognition flash past as she thought back to the woman in boots.

"Daddy must be proud," she smirked.

"Yeah, Daddy's dead, heart attack, never lived to see her make detective." The smile fell and she cooed an apology. They small talked through the rest of the meal but Dexter could see restlessness stirring inside of her. He dropped the money for dinner on the table and they left the restaurant and started the drive back home.

"I'd something about thanks for the ride home, but we live in the same place so it's not much of a hassle, at least I hope not," she chuckled dryly to break the silence that filled the dark car.

"Yeah it's no problem, I make a point of knowing the people around me," he gave a knowing smile and he could feel her hiss again, pulling the growl from his own Passenger. She tilted her head at him and gave him a long look.

"Good," she said as she got out of the car and started to walk up to her room, "I always prefer my unspoken things to stay that way." she winked and disappeared around the corner but he stayed in the car and sighed.

"Who is this woman," he groaned to himself as he set his head on his steering wheel. _Dexter look,_ Harry said from the passenger seat. When he lifted his head he was surprised to see Samantha, or Sam rather, walking back down the stairs and getting into her car. She slowly backed out with her headlights off and curiosity, and his Passenger got the better of him as he turned the ignition and followed her out.

"Where on Earth is she going?"

 _Be careful Dex, we don't know what we're getting into here._


	3. Chapter 3

Sam smiled to herself as she looked in the rear view mirror, just as she had hoped, Dexter Morgan had taken chase, most likely hoping to catch her in some kind of nefarious act. She had left with no real idea of where she was going, only a hope that she'd have a tail. She had been in Miami many years ago, back in 2006, what a beautiful time in Miami that had been. She had been reunited with her best friend once then and she hoped to find him again before she was finished in the city.

As much as she needed to be hunting tonight she knew it was impossible if she had any hope of evading the police, she could however use this as an opportunity to cause a distraction. She pulled up the address of her third choice of victim and began the slow stalk.

The name of the man that lived at the fine establishment was the one and only Richard Cooper. He was a scumbag and generally fit what she was looking for in a victim, but there was one little hold up. The poor fucker had an estranged daughter, and Sam wasn't one to break up a family, she knew all too well what could happen.

As expected, when she looked in her mirror she could see Dexters car lazily following up on her. Sam turned unexpectedly then, two houses down from Mr. R Cooper's house, and watched as Dexs car kept rolling. She knew he'd be back any minute after he rounded the block back and she jumped out of her car and into the unlocked window of the vacant house.

She found the place when she first started to vet Mr. Cooper and had planned on staking out there before realizing the hiccup in the poor man's demise. As planned she could hear a car engine stopping around the corner, and the sound of someone picking the lock of the back door. The Something Inside was screaming at her but she ignored it as she sat on the couch, the single piece of furniture in the place.

"You should've knocked, Dexter Morgan," she said before he could get too close. If he was following her and had no qualms breaking into places, she wanted to be in control of the situation. She could hear him take a deep breath and shuffle softly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a snappy tone.

"Better question, Mr. Forensic Analyst, what are you doing here?" she snapped back, still without turning around. He grunted and walked around to the font of the couch and looked at me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again, more impatient.

"That's good," Sam said as she started to get up, "Deflect the fact that you followed me and broke into this house by blame shifting me." He growled and pushed her back down into the old couch. "Woah big boy," She said, feeling The Voice starting to creep in, "Hands to yourself." He blinked at her in a way that could only communicate the fact that he had heard The Voice, which got Sam thinking if this lab geek himself, had A Voice to go with his Something Inside.

"What are you doing here, I think would be the more prudent question, Mr. Morgan," she say to him, her head cocked. He sure wasn't dressed in police work clothes, he had changed into a brown shirt and pair of cargo pants. He seemed to ignore the question, again, however and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up off the couch and out of the house.

"Get in your car," he growled, "We're going home."

"Hey cowboy, at least buy me dinner first… wait you did!" she started to giggle and he shot her a look, quieting her. "Yesh have a sense of humor," she grumbled as she got into her car. She pulled out and started to drive back to the apartments, seeing the headlights of the unwelcome guest in the mirror, just begging for disobedience.

She thought of my friends on the slow drive back. Sam hoped that her friend was out there, and that he had somehow gotten word of her work, and if he didn't, she'd keep trying. She thought of his smile and thoughtful eyes as she pulled into the lot, and when she looked over at Dexter, she thought for a moment she might've seen a familiar shadow cross the mans face.

 _What are you doing, Dexter?!_ Harry whispered aggressively from the passenger seat.

"I saw the look in her eyes," he growled back, "I was making sure she wasn't going to do anything, and look, I caught her in the middle of something, didn't I?"

 _Did you? Or did she let you? And now what, you have a son now, you can't go following around your supposedly murderous neighbor like this, what if she were to retaliate?_

"She'd never get to my family," he snapped as he got out of the car, meeting the woman at the base of the stairs.

"What a lovely night, it truly was a pleasure, Mr. Morgan." she gave him a pleasant smile, but he could nearly feel the Need radiating off of her, awaking his own Passenger. He walked her to her apartment and leaned against the handrail and blew a heavy breath.

"What am I doing here?" he asked himself as he stumbled into his apartment. He walked into his sons room and looked at the peaceful, finally, sleeping toddler.

"They're so sweet when they're asleep, huh?" Jamie peeped quietly from the doorway.

"Makes me miss when he was a baby," he smiled back.

"Alright well I'm taking off for the night, goodnight Dexter."

"Goodnight, Jamie. And thanks again," and with that the nanny was gone and i was just the two of them. "I miss your mother, Harrison," he whispered to his sleeping son. "She always knew what to do." He stroked the soft blond hairs of his son's head and sighed before himself going to his room and going to bed.

He woke up at six-thirty to the sound of his phone ringing.

"Hello?" he said in a croaky voice.

"Fuck, Dex its me," the femine voice said.

"I'm sure it is, but to clarify, which 'me' is it?" he replied, still in the veil of sleep.

"Fuck you smartass," the voice snapped "It's Debra who the fuck else."

"Who the fuck else indeed," he said back, smiling at the thought of his foul mouthed sister.

"We got something in the mail, you need to get here right fucking now, Dex," he could basically hear the scowl on her face and sat up quickly.

"On my way Deb," he hung up and quickly got dressed. What did she mean, _something in the mail_? Curiosity won over the need for decent coffee as he rushed out of the house, kissing Harrison on the forehead and saying goodbye to Jamie as she got him ready for school.

When Dexter finally got to the precinct, everyone was already in the briefing room, sitting in a dumbfound silence. There was the sound of static and breathing coming from the stereo playing in the middle of the room. Suddenly some groaning started on whatever crude station was playing and there, nearly undetectable was a voice.

" _Are you awake yet, I'm getting bored over here."_ as quiet and raspy the voice was, it was hauntingly familiar, not enough to be admissible, but Dexter world almost swear, the voice on the tape, was the one and only Samantha Pine.

The tape continued playing, the voice of the man became clear only to soon after turn to cries of agony, then all that was left was the sounds of heavy breathing and the meaty tune of flesh and bone being seperated. After it had concluded Deb cleared her throat and brought the attention of the green faced detectives of the room forward.

"Um, although it's unclear as of right now," she started eyes glancing around the room, "We have reason to believe after careful sound analysis, that this is a recording of the murder and dismemberment of the trail murder." Murmuring broke out and Deb and Dexter's eyes met, and it was a frightful look.

"Now obviously whoever did this, and felt the need to record it and send it to us? Is one sick fuck, so I need you guys on this, let's catch this motherfucker." The detectives cleared the room and Deb made a beline over to where Dexter was sitting.

"Still a crime of passion Dex?" she asked with a serious note in her voice.

"I honestly have no idea Deb. This is beyond me," he shrugged and looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"Nothing is beyond you Dexter, you're the same kind of sick fuck, aren't you," she gave him the hard cop glare and he huffed.

"Deb I wouldn't do something like this, it's sloppy, it's public, it's-" he stopped then and furrowed his brow. "It's a message. Whoever this killer is, they're trying to reach someone, and for them, this is the best way to go about it." She was still intent on buring straight through him with the signature, Harry Stern Look and he sighed. "What you don't think it was me, do you?"

"Look Dex, I'm just saying, this kid had a history, domestic abuse, robbery, and the cuts? Not to say you're above fucking with the police." The look only got harder and more firm, but he just sighed.

"No it wasn't me, I'm telling you, I had no idea who either of the voices in the tape are, okay?" Finally she let him go, but her gaze didn't leave his back until he was in his office, with his shades pulled closed.

"Fuck," he growled to himself, leaning back in his chair. When he refocused himself, Harry was standing in the corner, a concerned look on his face. "I should've just taken her last night, the house was already empty."

 _We don't know that is was her, not for sure anyway,_ Harry said inna reasonable tone. _Like I said, you need to be careful, if she feels threatened she might act out._

"I already said I could handle it if she did," he shot back, annoyance ringing in his voice. The Passenger was stirring uncomfortably and when he opened his shades he saw her. Sam was being led by a uniform, most likely to give her official statement on what she had seen but it had made his friend a little too uncomfortable for his liking.

"Hey Vince," he said as he walked out of his little office, "Who is that?"

"Oh ho ho ho ho, a woman turning Dexter Morgan's head, what a day indeed," he giggled his fake sounding giggle and Dex played it off. "She's the one who found the body in the park, you know, the jogger." he turned his attention back down to the sample he was working on.

"But what is she doing here?" Dex inquired further.

"Maybe she remembered something, it happens, now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," Dexter thanked him and walked out to the main portion of the precinct and turned on the T.V that was in the interrogation room.

" _Thank you for coming back in,"_ Batista's voice sounded from the screen.

" _Oh really,"_ the woman said in an ernest voice, " _It's no problem at all, I just hate the idea of someone so atrocious out on the streets."_ She's good, he thought, her voice sounded genuine, but it had an edge to it, and edge that implied she was not the only one in there.

" _Now you said on the phone that you think you have seen someone out there earlier that morning?"_ Batista pushed.

" _Oh yes, um, there was a car, I didn't think anything of it at the time but maybe now I should've said something,_ " she looked up with an apologetic look in her eyes and Angel cooed a soft reply. " _But yes, it was like an SUV, ford or something, I wasn't really paying attention, and a man, he was built, maybe on the taller side, dark hair?"_

"Huh, isn't that something," if Dexter could've jumped out of his skin he would've, Debra had materialized beside him and was giving him a look.

" _Do you think if you saw him, you'd recognize him?"_ Angel asked. It was just for a split second, but Dexter could swear she glanced a predators glance up at the camera.

" _Oh yes I think I could."_

 ** _Gasp! What is this? Me, uploading again? Yes darling it's true and I'm trying my best here. So, timeline. Deb is large and in charge and knows all about our little Darling Dex, I'd say we're season 7 pre-Hannah McKay and all that jazz, kina an AU type of thing. K, till next time -L 3_**


	4. Chapter 4

After her police interview Sam knew she'd gotten herself a one way ticket into whatever land of hurt Mr. Morgan may have been interested in pursuing. As she was walking out she made eye contact with him and smirked, causing his sister, the lieutenant aparent to cast him a scrutinizing look.

She knew she was probably taking a risk coming out and poking at her mysterious neighbor but she wanted to see what he, and his friend on the inside, were capable of. Not that she was overly worried, whatever he decided to throw at her she was sure she could handle it.

She stepped out of the Police Department and took a deep breath. It was a typical hot Miami day and she wished she'd worn a lighter top, considering she was sweltering in her jeans and collared work shirt, she figured it'd help her credibility however if she showed up ready for work, even if it was her day off.

"What are you doing here," hissed a voice to her side and she jerked her head over, and was nearly surprised by Dexter standing close to her side.

"Why I was just here to help the investigation, my foster father was a cop, oh gosh you'd know all about that wouldn't you," he placed a hand on her back and started to not-so-gently push her towards her car while looking around in an almost aggressive way. "Gentle good sir," she chastised.

"I don't have time for this," he growled at her.

"You're right," she said with an apologetic look in her eyes, "I fibbed darling, my Daddy wasn't a cop, but he was quite the interesting man, you'd might even know him, but I guess you're right, I don't quite time have for this quarreling, but say how about we go get some lunch, make up for it."

She could see the fire building up behind his soft eyes and it was all she could do to not laugh. They were frozen in place like that for a moment, her buckled in her small red car and him standing there, leaning in her window.

"Got a date Morgan?" asked an oddly tan guy with a boston accent and shiny button up.

"No actually-"

"Yes actually," she chimed up louder, "We're just on our way to lunch." Sam shot him a big sparkling smile and both men looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Bit earlier for lunch don't ya think," the other man asked incredulously.

"Yeah I think Quinn here is right," Dexter said with a look in his eyes that said ' _gosh what a shame'_ yet Sam could hear the growl of the Other.

"Nonsense," she said, gowling back, startling Dexter, "We'll get bruch then." With that the other man, Quinn, shot one more look at them before walking inside. That just left the good ol' boy Dexter Morgan.

"What is your obsession with me," he hissed at her under his breath.

"You're the one that followed me into a vacant property last night, now get in cowboy." She started the car and watched him curse to himself as he walked around and got into her car. "Where's a good lunch, or rather brunch place around here?" she asked in a conversational tone.

"How about we just go back to the apartments," he suggested in a strained voice, "I'll make us up something and we can enjoy the AC."

"Wonderful," Sam said as she turned up the radio and let the rest of the ride go along in silence.

 _Dexter what in the world are you doing?!_ Harry yelled at him from the back seat. Dex rubbed his eyes and glanced over at the woman. She wore a gray collared shirt with a logo and a bird embroidered on the front and worn out pair of jeans and black converse. With long red hair, pale complexion dotted with freckles and deep blues eyes, Dexter figured that she could be pretty if one were to look that way.

 _But you're not, right Dex?_ Dexter met his fathers eyes in the side mirror and Harry tilted his head and then shook it. _It's a bad idea getting close to this woman. And we both know it, don't act the other way._ Before long she had parked and they were on the way up to his room. _And now what,_ Harry chided from beside the door, _Now Quinn has seen you two together, won't that say something when she goes missing?_

"Wow," Sam said once she was inside, "So… neat." And it was, everything was meticulously in its place, which surprised her to see a small, child's keyboard on his coffee table. "Huh, just what are you into Mr. Morgan?"

"Why are you fucking with me?" Dexter growled from behind her as he pushed her up against a wall, his forearm against her throat.

"Cut to the chase shall we then," she choked out, meeting his eyes, feeling their Friends snarling at each other. "I'm looking for a friend, and I think you can help me."

"Really now, you, friends?" he asked, "And why do you think I could help you?" With that she reached up a hand and poked his chest.

"Because of him," the edges of her vision started to go black and she blinked hard against it. He let go of her then and she dropped to the floor coughing and lifted her thumb up and struggled out a laugh. "We both know that you're little Friend is Up To No Good. I know you can hear mine, so how about you show me yours and I'll show you mine."

"You want to see?" he growled lowly at her.

"There he is," she said searching his eyes which had grown darker. "I'd love to share but, mid if we eat first, I wasn't kidding when I said brunch." He growled and turned around, walking into his little kitchen and pulling out some sandwich things. Sam rubbed her neck and coughed one more time before standing up and straightening her shirt.

Dexter's apartment was the same as Sams was, just copy pasted over to the better located corner spot. She opened the curtains and looked out over the bay, with views like that she understood why her friend had spent time in the fair city. She let out a sigh and moved over to the AC unit and let the cold air wash over her sweaty face.

"Hey, uh, food is ready," Dexter called from the kitchen, traces of The Voice gone, the poor boy had a fast cool down rate, how dull.

"Thanks deary," she said as she took a bite.

 _Another close call?_ Said from his place by the AC box. "So you're friend?" Dex said between bites, "You've mentioned him a few times already, he must be pretty special to you."

"We met a while back, when we were both quite impressionable and spent time here and there around the country and beyond for a bit. We shared… certain life experiences so we got along very well but about oh ten years ago he went on this quest I guess you'd say to find a someone of his own, and we met up here actually a few years ago but I got called away and we haven't exactly stayed in touch so I figured it was my turn to find him."

"Life experiences huh?" He inquired, feeling a stirring from the Dark Passenger.

"A rough life, Mr. Morgan."

"Dexter."

"Right of course, first name basis, I forgot," she smiled at him and for a moment he thought he heard the Passenger laugh, not his usual reaction to a killer so, unrestrained. Once they were done eating he did his dishes and let out a long breath, just as he opened his mouth to say something, his phone started to ring. He looked at her apologetically and picked it up.

"Fuck Dexter," the voice on the other end said.

"Deb, what's up?"

"Crime scene, FUCK, just, fuck, the fucking ice rink Dex," and with that she hung up. Dex swung around and looked at Sam, who was sipping some water from a glass, he innocent eyes looking up at him.

"There's a body, I need to go," he could barely focus over the cackling of the Dark Passenger.

"Shit, and I drove you, I guess I'll just give you a lift there, where to?" Dexter didn't like the look in her eyes but he knew that he couldn't waste time going back to the precinct.

"You know the Panthers ice stadium?" he asked, and she gave him a smile.

"Sure I do, I've been to a few games, let's get a move on," Sam whirled around on her heels and Dexter took one final look at Harry and his disapproving face before he sped out of the apartment.

 **Okay so two chapters in a day, I feel like that coupled with the fact that this chapter has real movement I feel like it's okay that it's a little shorter, I'm doing my best mates.**


	5. Chapter 5

Dexter could feel his heart nearly stop. There, in the visitor net on the ice, was a body. Bone dry and wrapped up like christmas. Just like-

"It's just like Rudy, I mean fuck, Brian, fuck, your brother whatever," Deb was standing off to the side, obviously in an uncomfortable state.

"Deb," he started, but she held up a hand, cutting him off as she walked away. He stepped out onto the ice, feeling pulled toward the corpse. The victim appeared to be a white male in his thirties, not exactly Brother Brian's modus operandi.

"Dexter," Angel said in a hushed voice as he approached the scene. The man on the ice was arranged and wrapped identically to how Sherry Taylor had been arranged years ago, except this time there was what looked to be a cassette tape jammed into the victims mouth. "What the fuck are we dealing with here?"

"Dealing with again, you mean?" he said as he squatted down to get a better look. The sergeant gave him a long look then turned his gaze back to the body.

"What the fuck," Angel mumbled under his breath as he pulled out the tape and put it into the evidence back. "How much you wanna bet the same person who chopped up that trail corpse is responsible for this shit too?"

"To easy," Dexter replied still, enraptured by the neat, dry pieces on the cold ice.

"Did our perp know ITK?" Angel asked, drawing his attention back up.

"We never released the crime scene photos to the press, to know how to make the parts exactly the same like this, you'd have to have done it before. No doubt."

"Well shit, who could it have been?" He asked genuinely.

"I have no idea," Dexter replied, not entirely ingenious. "But whoever it was, is trying to send some kind of message."

"Message? To who?" The poor sergeant was looking at confused as Dexter was feeling.

"Unfortunately I'm drawing a blank… Unless." he could feel the wheels of his brain cranking and the quiet chuckle of the Passenger.

"Well spit it out," Quinn said as he walked up to the other men.

"Unless this is a gift-wrapped package FOR Bri- I mean ITK, but that doesn't make sense unless they don't know he's dead."

"So you think someone's out there trying to rekindle a long lost friendship with the guy? Like they haven't been to Miami since oh-six and are the same kind of sick fuck he is and he's tryna send messages through bodies? Holy Fuck." It was then that there was the great, bright light bulb in Dexter's head went off.

"Yeah I guess so," he said as he stood up and looked out toward the door where he could see Sam curiously peering in at the scene.

"Where you going?" Quinn oh so eloquently spat as Dexter started to walk away.

"No blood, no work, no Dex," he said as he took off his gloves, "Ask Batista and Masuka about it, they loved it last time." He could hear them chatting behind him as he approached the doors.

"Done so soon?" Sam asked as he rushed out of the doors with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"We need to talk," he said as he grabbed her arm not so gently and led her back to her car. "Passenger seat, I'll be driving." he said in The Voice, but then it wasn't really him driving was it? She scoffed at him but went to the other side of the car and got in, grumbling while she was at it.

"Look just take us back to the station and you can get your car and I'll go home," she said in a huffy voice.

"What was the name of this friend you're looking for?" he asked, but in reality it was more of a strong suggestion that she told the truth Or Else.

"Depends," she said, looking at him With A Look In Her Eyes.

"On what," he growled as they weaved through the traffic of the busy city.

"Which mask best fit the purpose," she said nonchalantly, looking off.

"The mask that was Miami?"

"Rudy Cooper."

Sam studied Dexter's face as his knuckles turned white at the steering wheel and his jaw muscles tightened and knotted. "Why, did you know him?" she asked, feeling a thickness in throat.

"When exactly did you leave Miami?" he asked in a too serious tone.

"I had to leave because he had decided on this crazy notion that he was gonna… marry some police lady he'd been toying with for a while on the side, but I mean I had been planning on it for awhile but when he showed me the ring I figured I'd better make myself scarce, I mean I never met the lady but whatever."

"Did you know his real name?" he asked her in a hushed voice.

"Of course, we were best friends, partners in crime as the saying goes, I even lived at his childhood house for a while."

"And?"

"Moser, Brian Moser." she said with a soft smile at the mention of the curly haired man.

 _What are you going to do Dexter?_ Harry said as the pulse in Dexter's forehead started to throb and his breath hitched.

"Huh you must've not been that close then," he said and looked over at her slightly shocked face. _Careful Dex._

"Why do you say so?" she asked In The Voice.

"You didn't recognize me." _Think about what you're doing._ "And I'm his brother." Her eyes snapped to his and gave him a deep searching look as their Passengers snarled at each other.

"Aha you?" she snorted. "I mean I guess you're mysterious, fake, and you've got Something Inside, by golly it is you! Then that makes your dopey detective sister… the cop he, I guess was, gonna butcher."

"You've been leaving messages for him haven't you?" he said darkly and she studied him with careful eyes.

"I have," she said in a calculated voice, "But of course I'm not as skilled as him, or you." With that he reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe full of M99 and poked her neck with it. He swerved to avoid hitting a slow car and started to drive back to the apartments.

"Shit shit shit," he yelled and hit the steering wheel. Dexter took a deep breath and looked at his watch, it was still to early to be done with work for the day and it was too late to rethink his decision. He looked back over to her and groaned.

 _Not exactly tactful,_ Harry muttered from the back seat.

"Oh I'm sorry I'm just here doing my job sedating dangerous criminals," he snapped back. He slapped the steering wheel again and pulled into the parking lot of the apartments. He carried her princess style up to her apartment and put her on the couch, handcuffing her left wrist to keep her there. Dexter opened up the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, he opened it and injected a half amount of M99 into the water and placed it next to Sam on the couch.

He moved to open the door and a flash of white from the corner of his eye caused him to tense and turn around. On the counter was a large white bird. It fluffed up the feathers on the top of it's head and started to screech loudly at him. Dexter growled deep in his chest and left, the screaming still following.

When he got back to the station, by cab, they team was filing back into the briefing room to listen to the new tape.

" _As a kid I never got fire alarms,_ " the scratchy voice said, " _If I'm going to die a horrific death it might as well be to something pleasant. So tell me, what's a pleasant sound to you?"_ a low crude laugh followed and all eyes had a nervous gleam.

" _Am I going to die?"_ a second voice cried out.

" _Yes. And horribly so tell your favorite song."_ the voice was getting impatient. Sam sure was a hothead when she was busy.

" _I uh, uh-duh, I d-don't know! Please let me go!"_

" _I searched all this time for you and you can't even answer a simple question!"_ the first voice screeched. " _That's alright"_ it said, suddenly calm. " _I suppose the radio will do."_ From there the real screaming began, nearly drowned out by rock music playing in the background.

Deb walked over and turned it off and gave the crowd of detectives a stern look. The look on her face said that she was starting to believe that maybe Dex wasn't the one leaving the corpses around, and it scared her. "We need to find this music playing bastard," she said, a slight warble to her voice. "We need to stop him before he does anything else." There was a murmur of consensus around the room and Dexter sighed.

"Let's get to it people."

 **Heck guys here I am again, it's been a minute but I'm back, with another shorter chapter but college is hard and time is short. Anyway, leaves reviews if you feel so inclined, I'd appreciate it. Sorry if theres any problems with it. Much love. -L**


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